Hey everybody, Im new here. Been living in southern california on and off since 1993, and I am very ready to leave. Starting to save up money and hoping to land in north eastern montana.

I’ve got a 13 yr old very cool maine coone cat, a violin, guitar, tactical survival knife, and not much else I want to take with me.

Looking to start fresh, in a place where people are real, and are good to one another. Love thy neighbor, you know? Southern california is every man for themselves, with a squash people like bugs attitude. Not where I want to spend the rest of my days.

Welcome from the North end of the state. Good call on getting out. I know a few folks from Montana and haven't met one yet who isn't good people. They grow them right up there I guess.

Lots of good info and folks on this site, so glean what you can from the search function and then ask questions to fill in the blanks. I'm still making my way through the labyrinth of knowledge and enjoying to comradery of these very informed experts.

If you are new to prepping I highly recommend you read ReadyMom's "Welcome! He's a Prepper. She's a Prepper. I'm a Prepper too!". I just finished reading it and don't know how I overlooked it in my journey through the site, but it breaks it down so that even I can understand how easy it is to get started.

HI Omar, Welcome from another So Cal person, but I am on my way out too. If I can give a few words of advise?Just know that you are leaving a certain lifestyle down here. Most places (especially the bigger cities) will welcome you with open arms, so will the smaller towns, but......don't try to bring CA to where ever you end up. I am moving to a small town, quite a few CA have moved to the same area. Now they are wanting to change local laws a codes to what they left in CA. Drives the locals nuts and puts the CA folks on the outs real fast. You may not have a starbucks on every corner, or even in the town if you go small town. Don't be to shocked to walk into the grocery store and see someone buying a dozen eggs, milk, a new handgun and fishing bait. One stop shopping. Start working your arm out. If you end up in a small town, you drive down the back roads and it seems EVERYONE waves!!Folks maybe carrying guns, either on them or in their trucks, its just part of life.good luckNorth County Guy ( G)

North County Guy wrote:...Just know that you are leaving a certain lifestyle down here. Most places (especially the bigger cities) will welcome you with open arms, so will the smaller towns, but......don't try to bring CA to where ever you end up. I am moving to a small town, quite a few CA have moved to the same area. Now they are wanting to change local laws a codes to what they left in CA. Drives the locals nuts and puts the CA folks on the outs real fast. North County Guy ( G)

North County Guy - this is some of the best advise I have seen on my short time on this forum. We have this same thing happening up on the North end. * Cityiots (no offense as I do not group y'all into with them) come here and want to escape the big city and then turn right around and start trying to change the town to fit their city ideas. Has led to some pretty heated confrontations with the locals.

* Cityiot (City-it)= a combination of City and Idiot. Used to call them Flatlanders, but realized there are some really good folks down in the flat lands that I didn't want to offend, thus - Cityiot.

North County, Dr1ven and Omar - I wish y'all the best of luck getting out of this state. I was born and raised in SoCal, though in the mountains and desert, but still had to visit the city once in a while and I admire the fact that you have remained sane (at least I assume that is the case ). You may have to make your own priority shift before it is to late.

thanks all. im looking at sd now. good prices for rooms and rent, and in the meantime saving all i can and trying to sell things... i fully expect parts of california to be underwater or on fire by mid year.... its gonna get weird down here....

North County Guy wrote:HI Omar, Welcome from another So Cal person, but I am on my way out too. If I can give a few words of advise?Just know that you are leaving a certain lifestyle down here. Most places (especially the bigger cities) will welcome you with open arms, so will the smaller towns, but......don't try to bring CA to where ever you end up. I am moving to a small town, quite a few CA have moved to the same area. Now they are wanting to change local laws a codes to what they left in CA. Drives the locals nuts and puts the CA folks on the outs real fast. You may not have a starbucks on every corner, or even in the town if you go small town. Don't be to shocked to walk into the grocery store and see someone buying a dozen eggs, milk, a new handgun and fishing bait. One stop shopping. Start working your arm out. If you end up in a small town, you drive down the back roads and it seems EVERYONE waves!!Folks maybe carrying guns, either on them or in their trucks, its just part of life.good luck

sounds great. thanks for the advice !

id be very glad not to see a starfuks on every corner.. those places ar evil and cannot make coffee worth a two bit chuck anyhow.

i prefer my own and black!

i definitely dont want to take so cal with me, the people here are largely entitled dimwits tat orshp the holllywood machine. be happy to be otta here. pardon the typos...

North County Guy wrote:don't try to bring CA to where ever you end up. I am moving to a small town, quite a few CA have moved to the same area. Now they are wanting to change local laws a codes to what they left in CA. Drives the locals nuts and puts the CA folks on the outs real fast. You may not have a starbucks on every corner, or even in the town if you go small town. Don't be to shocked to walk into the grocery store and see someone buying a dozen eggs, milk, a new handgun and fishing bait. One stop shopping. Start working your arm out. If you end up in a small town, you drive down the back roads and it seems EVERYONE waves!!Folks maybe carrying guns, either on them or in their trucks, its just part of life.

Same thing has been happening here in AZ...the idiots can't wait to get out of CA, but then they turn around and try to make it like it was back there If they like THAT way of life so much, then they should go back to where they came from!

i cant either anymore, and im looking to get out asap. i’d been ignoring it for years, but today when i went outside i noticed i only lasted about 15 minutes before i was so (Censored word. I'm a potty mouth) annoyed i had to go back to my apartment.....

sure will be nice to be around real people again. only hurdles currently are rangling some poo poo at the dmv to get my liscense back (hit a curb at 5mph the last six inches of it) and they suspended my liscense, and then raising the 1800 bucks to make the transition to SD.